Trouser hanger



United States Patent Oncc 3,061,154 Patented Oct. 30, 1962 3,061,154 TROUSER HANGER Desmond D. Connall, 8538 SE. Alder St., Portland 16, Oreg. Filed Oct. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 848,591 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-87) This invention relates to new and ruseful garment hangers.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a garment hanger which is inexpensive to manufacture but which nevertheless is strong and reliable and therefore is especially adaptable for use by cleaning establishments, hotels, or the like, whereby the hangers are supplied to the customers as a service.

A further object is to provide a garment hanger which may be formed from a single sheet of cardboard or other suitable material.

Another object is to provide a garment hanger which positively supports a pair of trousers without wrinkling or folding them.

A still further object is to provide a garment hanger having means for holding a pair of trousers in a novel manner, facilitating easy mounting and removal of the trousers and convenient handling.

In brief, the invention comprises a body portion preferably formed of cardboard and having a double wall portion formed in a manner to provide a bottom opening for the insertion of trouser cuffs into engagement with holding means interiorly of the hanger. Such holding means comprise elongated edge portions which are disposed between the wall portions and which are accessible through the bottom opening for engagement by the terminal edges of the trouser cuffs.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred forms of the device. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may take still other for-ms and all such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claim which will occur to persons skilled in the art are included in the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, with parts broken away, of one form of the present invention;

`FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an elevational View, with parts broken away, of a second form of the invention.

Referring particularly to the drawings and first to FIG- URES l and 2, a preferred for-m of the hanger, designated generally by the numeral is constructed from a single piece or blank of cardboard or other suitable material. The cardboard blank comprises two identically shaped portions 11 folded together on each other on a central fold line l12 to thereby form a double-walled structure. The hanger is contoured to form a hook 14 for supporting the hanger on a rod 16.

The lower ends of each of the walls 11 are folded inwardly of the hanger and upwardly on a fold line 18. These folded portions, designated by the numeral 20, form tabs forengagement by and for supporting a pair of trousers 21 having the usual cuffs 22. The upper edges or terminal ends of tabs may if desired be serrated, as indicated by the numeral 24.

The two wall portions '11 of the hanger are secured together by means of rivets 26 or other suitable means such as staples or adhesive, such fastening means preferably being located adjacent the ends and lower edge of the hanger for the purpose of maintaining the lower area between the fasteners in a closely spaced, somewhat rigid relation. The fasteners 26 also preferably extend through the upturned tabs 2.0l to provide a positive and rugged fastening joint.

To mount a pair of trousers on the hanger the pair of wall portions are flexed apart sufficiently to form a bottom opening. The culi ends of the trousers are then inserted upwardly into such opening and moved to a point whereby the terminal edges of the cuffs which of course are facing down, are disposed above the edges of tabs 20. Upon releasing the trousers, the downwardly facing edges of the cuffs engage the upwardly facing edges of the tabs whereby there is established an edge to edge supporting contact between the pants and the hanger, 'FIGURE 2.

By the structure of the present device, the weight of the trousers forms a locking connection with the hanger in that such weight causes the lower ends of the hanger to be urged toward each other to thereby tend to close the bottom opening. This action eliminates any possibility of accidental displacement of the culs from the tabs. While there is thus provided a positive grip on the trousers, such trousers may be readily removed from the hanger by liexing the lower edges of the hanger apart sufliciently to disengage the cuff edges from the tabs 20.

The present device may be formed of a material more durable than cardboard, if desired, for providing a permanent type hanger, but for a temporary give away product it preferably is fonmed of an inexpensive material such as cardboard. Such material in any regard must be of sufficient structural strength to provide the necessary longitudinal rigidity but yet permit slight flexibility to allow insertion of the trouser cuffs.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the double walled body provides an upper opening 30 through which access may be had if necessary to pull the cuis up through the bottom opening, or for releasing the cuffs. Also, by the body construction set forth the hook 14 has double edge engagement with the supporting rod 16, the hook walls being divergent sufficiently to provide a rigid triangular structure.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 there is illustrated a combination coat and trouser hanger 32 utilizing the principles of the present invention. This hanger is supported on a wire coat hanger 34 of the usual type having a hook 36, inclined shoulder portions 38, and a horizontal bar portion 40. IFor the purpose of mounting the device on such a hanger, a body 42 has tabs 44 adapted to be clamped over the inclined shoulders 38 of the wire hanger for attachment thereto. Body 42 has an opening 46 and has a lower wall portion 50 attached thereto by rivets 52 to form a double wall structure. 'Ihis embodiment has upturned tabs 54 similar to tabs '20| of FIGURE 1 which engage cuff portions of trousers to maintain the trousers on the hanger. Opening 46, similar to opening 30 in FIG- URE 1, prow'des access if necessary to pull the cuffs up through the bottom opening, or for releasing the cuffs.

The embodiment of FIGURE 3 thereby will support a pair of trousers in the manner described in connection with FIGURE l and also is usable as a coat or other garment hanger.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention there is thus provided a garment hanger of a structure facilitating inexpensive manufacture thereof whereby it may be utilized by cleaning establishments or hotels, motels, or the like as a give away article to customers. In addition such hanger construction provides an improved manner of trouser engagement, whereby the trousers are held positively against slipping and furthermore without wrinkling or folding. The shape of the hanger body facilitates the placing of advertisements thereon for promotional purposes.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same ymay be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A hanger for holding trousers by the cuffs comprising a body portion formed of a single blank of material and having a fold line along its longitudinal center comprising the upper edge of the hanger, the wall portions on opposite sides of the fold line being of identical shape and of a width adjacent their bottom edges greater than the width of trousers at the cuffs, each of said side Walls terminating at said bottom edges in upwardly and inwardly turned substantially full length tab means adapted to be engaged at their upper edge by the trousers cuff portion disposed between the wall portions, a cut-out area adjacent the fold line upper edge comprising a hook for the l garment hanger, said hook being triangular in cross section as fonmed by the upper edge fold line and depending Wall portions of the hanger and fastening means engageable with said wall portions at opposite ends of the hanger adjacent the bottom edge thereof securing said Wall portions together.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,461,179 Rogalla Feb. 8, 1949 2,562,559 Lyman July 31, 1951 2,617,5165 Suydam Nov. 11, 1952 2,769,586 Lee Nov. 6, 1956 2,908,429 Edwards Oct. 13, 1959 

